


Long Story Short

by candyyysays



Series: Folklore and Evermore Marauders Era Short Stories [9]
Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Based on a Taylor Swift Song, F/F, First War with Voldemort, Lesbian Marlene McKinnon, Marauders Era (Harry Potter), Minor Marlene McKinnon/Dorcas Meadowes, wlw
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-23
Updated: 2021-01-23
Packaged: 2021-03-15 11:07:18
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,508
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28937505
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/candyyysays/pseuds/candyyysays
Summary: Rare as the glimmer of a comet in the skyAnd (s)he feels like homeIf the shoe fits, walk in it everywhere you goThe three times Marlene and Dorcas shared a cigarette, and the one time they didn't.Based on Taylor Swift's long story short <3
Relationships: James Potter/Lily Evans Potter, Marlene McKinnon/Dorcas Meadowes, Sirius Black/Remus Lupin
Series: Folklore and Evermore Marauders Era Short Stories [9]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2117049
Kudos: 11





	Long Story Short

**Author's Note:**

> link to the song!! pls go check out everyones writing theyre a m a z i n g  
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rqQHa2HcGtM

Dorcas’ breath hung in the air. It cut through the december wind, reminding her that she was, in fact, still alive. She knew it was far too risky to disappear down an alleyway of hogsmeade, but being a self destructive gryffindor, she’d ditched Lily and the boys to go wallow in her own self pity. Her boots crushed straight into the snow, one by one, almost autonomously. She couldn’t let herself show as much emotion as she was stomaching. It wasn’t like her.  
She’d been happy with the break up, of course. Dorcas was usually happy. Okay, that was a lie. But she’d always had to be. She ran her fingers over the bracelet he’d gotten her, not that she could remember exactly what it was for. She kept her head down, scanning the ground in front of her. She didn’t want trouble, she never did. If she ran into _him_ or anyone else she’d nod politely, keep her distance and excuse herself to smoke. Most people berated her for that habit, but it’s not like they’d stick around. 

“Oi”  
Dorcas held herself back from groaning. _Was it Sirius?_ She turned to the voice snarling behind her, trying not to gasp at the mark baring his forearm. _Definitely not Sirius_ She clasped her wand, making a mental note to look over some proper defense spells. Before she could draw it however, she turned to see even more people in the same raggedy clothes.  
“Miss the showers working for ol’ he who must not be named do ya? Hell of a dress code” Dorcas blurted out, mentally kicking herself in the process. Her big mouth had gotten her in nothing but trouble. It only ever came out when she was scared, and it certainly didn’t help when she swore she was done making trouble for herself.  
One of the death eaters raised their wand, but dorcas beat them to it. She turned toward the group now circling her, shouting a booming “protego!” 

Marlene’s hands were the first thing she noticed as the world came back into vision. She was stroking her cheek, eyes heavy and a little bloodshot. She bit her lip, trying to fight the blush she knew she’d started to show.  
“Doe?” The blonde girl’s expression changed, lips tugging at a smile. She sat up from Marlene’s embrace, gazing at the street she’d just been fighting in. “I found you after you fought them off.”  
Dorcas made a noise close to choking. Thank Merlin for that girl’s intuition.  
“You were kind of a badass.” Marlene shook her head. “Are you okay?”  
Dorcas nodded and pulled a cig out of her pack, cursing herself for having this moment of all the goddamn moments to only have one left. She inhaled, passing it to Marlene. She smiled at the nervous look on her face.  
“It’s okay to cough.” She tossed her hair back in the dramatics of it all. “It’s endearing.”  
To answer Marl’s question, no.  
She wasn’t okay.  
But she would be.  
-  
“Doe, hurry up!” Lily called from the bottom of the stairs that led to their dorm. She shouted something back, staring into the mirror they shared. She’d let Marlene pick her dress for their last quidditch afterparty, which hadn’t been exactly up Dorcas’ street, but she didn’t hate it all the same. She just never liked clothes too tight. So she took a deep breath, trying not to strip over her own heels on the stairs. Entering the common room was less frightening than she’d imagined, everyone had hopefully had enough shots of firewhiskey that they were wrapped up in their own conversations and of course, dancing. She flipped off a group of fifth year boys wolf whistling, much to Marlene's excitement. She took her by the hand, leading her to where a few hufflepuff’s had been dancing. She gave her a dramatic twirl, landing her head in the crook of Marlene’s neck.  
“You look beautiful” she’d whispered, a hand running through her hair.  
Dorcas pulled back, a wicked grin on her face. She seized the other girl’s hand, sprinting all the way to the astronomy tower.  
“Doe! We’re going to get caught.” She bit down hard on her lip, pulling her hands toward her. She pulled the cig out of Marlene’s hand, blowing the smoke in the direction of the quidditch pitch. “Does that mean you don’t want to be here?”. Marlene spluttered for a second.  
“N-no! I just..” Dorcas cut her off, wrapping her arms around her. She paused for a second, placing the cig in Marlene’s mouth for her. She watched it blow from her lips, her _perfect_ lips.  
So she met hers with her own.  
-  
The rain was trickling down Dorcas and Marlene’s bedroom window. It’d been decorated with posters, both muggle music and witch. It wasn’t a very big room, but as far as Dorcas was concerned it was absolutely perfect.  
She’d been tracing lines in Marlene’s palm, letting the peace of a morning like that stay at the forefront of her emotions. She’d lit up a cig that’d since been stolen by Marlene, who was, as usual, rambling. Today she’d been talking about how beautiful Dorcas was, which Dorcas thought was rather silly, she didn’t think she could remember ever feeling beautiful without one hell of an effort.  
Then the conversation turned to the war, one of her least favourite topics. Marlene had promised they’d be ready when the days came, and Dorcas had simply stated that as long as they were together she’d be okay.  
And she wouldn’t leave Marlene for the world.  
“You never did tell me what happened that day.” Marlene said, bringing her back to real life.  
“What day?” Dorcas had a fair idea, but she’d hoped to be wrong.  
She motioned at herself and then Dorcas. “The day we…”  
“The day I introduced you to the wonders of nicotine” She said with a small smile, stealing the cig back off her girlfriend. “Does it matter?”  
“You were sad…”  
Dorcas’ hair bounced and twirled as she straddled Marlene's lap. “That was years ago, and a long story. I’m all in with you.” She pressed their foreheads together, dropping the cig into their makeshift ashtray.  
“All in”  
-  
Dorcas’ hands couldn’t stop shaking. She’d been staying with James and Lily since Marlene had gone to visit her family, which Dorcas had been adamant about her not doing. She sat tapping her now empty cup sitting on their kitchen counter, pushing all the worries she’d had out of her head.  
Marlene was just late, nothing else. Many things could’ve happened, and Marlene was fine. She’d be back.  
At least, this was what she told herself until she’d been joined by James in the kitchen of their open-floor planned house. They’d talked awhile, telling stories and bouncing baby harry around. He was a cute kid, Lily’s beautiful green eyes complimented him to no end. She’d always liked kids.  
Her and Marlene had often spoken about adoption, and it’d taken seeing little Harry to give her the confidence to put together a plan to ask Marlene in all seriousness. 

The sound of someone coming through the fireplace pulled Dorcas straight out of her thoughts, and she whipped her head around. She’d apologise for being so unsupportive, she’d tell her all about her plan to adopt. 

And she saw dumbledore.  
James looked just as confused as Dorcas, motioning for dumbledore to sit down. He took this offer, looking at the two terrified, sleep deprived young adults before him. “You may wish to sit down, Miss Meadowes.” She shook her head, James standing with his hand on her shoulder.  
“I am.”  
His eyes dulled ever so slightly. “I’m sorry to inform you two, please pass this on to the rest of your friends if you wish-”  
Dorcas opened her to speak, James shaking his head at her.  
“Marlene McKinnon is dead.”

Her cup made contact with the ground before she’d even registered his words. “Are you alright, Miss Meadowes?” She scoffed at this.  
“I don’t know, how do you- Shit, sorry James.” She moved off the counter to brush up the cup while James rushed to Harry who’d woken up at the noise.  
Dumbledore looked into her eyes, his still twinkling in the aggravating way that they did. “I’m sorry for your loss.” And with that, he left. 

James didn’t return for some time. She stared out his window, smoking one of marlene’s last cigarettes. She hadn’t cried yet, she hadn’t even really registered the words that left his mouth.  
“You survived.” James said, startling her a little.  
She thought for a second. “I shouldn’t have.”  
“I should’ve been there.”  
James pulled her into a hug, which was surprising given the stench of smoke from Marlene’s old jacket. He’d always hated the smell.  
“It isn’t your fault.”  
“Maybe it is-”  
She was cut off by Remus and Sirius knocking at the door. He squeezed her hand, and went to greet them.  
And in that moment, Dorcas’ mind solidified a different type of plan.


End file.
